APRA Music Awards unveil performers, reveal early winners

The Virtual APRA Awards (VAPRAs) have unveiled the performers for the Monday, May 25 stream, while announcing a number of early winners.

John Butler, up for his 16th APRA nomination this year with ‘Just Call’ for Most Performed Blues and Roots, will be joined by Mama Kin.

R&B singer-songwriter Nikka Costa appears with husband Justin Stanley, Grammy-nominated producer, composer and Noiseworks member.

Kira Puru will be joined by Mo’Ju as she tackles one of the Song Of The Year nominations, which will be given interesting interpretations through the night.

Also on the list were Riverina-based troubadour William Crighton, who was raised on church hymns and Johnny Cash, and New York-based Australian The Dawn of MAY.

The Most Performed International Work has gone to ‘Shallow’, the musical centrepiece of Bradley Cooper’s remake of A Star is Born.

The song, which dominated airplay following the cinematic release, hit the # 1 chart position in 27 countries including Australia.

It earned a gong for superstar songwriter Stefani Germanotta (aka Lady Gaga) and co-writers Anthony Rossomando Andrew Wyatt and Mark Ronson.

It is Ronson’s second APRAs win. He took home the same award in 2016, for ‘Uptown Funk.

The APRA Licensee of the Year award went to Meredith Music Festival in Victoria.

Now some 29 years on, and with the sort of brand loyalty which sees the event sell out even before the acts are announced, APRA recognised their “commitment to artists and their music rights”.

The festival’s public spokesperson, Aunty Meredith, responded: “The Meredith Music Festival is proud to play the role that it does in the songwriter’s ecosystem.

“Like everyone, we are looking forward to the time when we can again see, hear and feel those wonderful songs in the flesh again. “A full-sensory inhalation would be nice, wouldn’t it?”

The VAPRAs are hosted by Briggs with musical direction by Kate Miller-Heidke.